Binding Crime - Supernatural
by S. A. Arkenburgh
Summary: SEQUEL TO "BINDING CRIME" Stefan and Elena take a trip to New York City with Damon and Caroline along for the ride. Something supernatural begins to threaten Stefan and the people he loves, and they're going to get down to the bottom of it, even if it means death. *Contains Damon's sarcastic humor - you were warned. :P*
1. Adjustment Hunt

**A/N: Hello Readers! I'm back from FF hiatus! Actually, I've just been reading more FF than writing it, but still. Stefan and Elena are back for a whole new crime-solving adventure! I'd like to point out that this story is going to have some rated M parts in it, but overall it's a T story. I'm not going to say that if you're under 18 to go away, because I'm under eighteen and the author of this story, so I'll just say that if it would bring any offense to you, then don't read the chapters. I'll give you a fair warning when they're coming up…and without further wait, here's Binding Crime: Supernatural…Chapter 1: Adjustment Hunt!**

**Oh, and I don't have to say that L.J. Smith owns everything but my plotline, right? It's kind of obvious already.**

"Run it, Stef!" Damon yelled at me through the woods. His voice bounced off of the trees in a whisper, but I could hear him acutely. "Be like the beagle our great-aunt Ellie had and run that damn rabbit!"

I remembered that beagle. He was two years older than me and a senior dog at the time we visited Ohio to see our Aunt Ellie, but he could still run a rabbit and bring it back to you. His name was Chase, because he chased the bunnies. It was quite saddening when he finally passed from his extremely old age; he was fourteen.

Just as I was lost in thought I heard Damon run up from behind me, and before I could react, he slammed me against a tree, causing it to crack and fall in the middle of the woods. It reminded me of that joke about the tree in the woods. When it falls but nobody is around to hear or see it, did it really fall? I didn't know.

"Stefan," Damon said through gritted teeth as he held my by the collar of my shirt. "You need to _focus_! I understand you're still getting used to this, and that your vampire mind runs ramped with random thoughts, but you have to at least _try_ and hunt. You can't stay on bagged blood all of the time or you'll become addicted and out of control."

"I'm trying, Damon!" I said as I threw him off of me, but he didn't go far.

Unlike me, Damon wanted to stay on the bagged blood because he had more experience as a vampire and could control himself when he wanted to, and that caused him to be much stronger than I was. Though he had his diet, he was trying to help me adapt to this new form of life I was thrown into, and thus, here we were - for the fourth hour straight - trying to get my mind to focus long enough for me to catch one damn rabbit!

"Well, you need to start getting the hang of this or you're going to starve," he stated because he knew as well as I that I was not going to continue to drink human blood…no matter how delightfully delicious it tasted as it ran down my throat, leaving a warm feeling all over…

Damon snapped his fingers in front of my face.

"I don't know how to focus, Damon," I admitted. "Why does this have to be so damn hard?"

Damon growled in frustration. He started pacing the forest floor in a circle with his hands behind his back and his head down as he was deep in thought.

I just stood there with my hands in my pockets as I blew out in frustration and looked up at the sky, which was getting brighter with the upcoming sun.

"Damon," I mumbled. "I have to get back. The sun's coming up."

"No you don't," he said, but he didn't look up or stop his pacing. He just reached into his pocket and threw something shiny at me. "Put it on, and keep it on, or die."

Of course I caught the shiny silver object with ease, but I didn't expect it to be the ring that Katherine had gotten me as an anniversary present.

"Why do you have this?" I asked as I examined it.

I hadn't worn it since I heard of her "death", which turned out to be completely falsified in her plan to bring Damon and I back together so she could continue her sensual escapades with the both of us, causing us to be immortal enemies up until her _real_ death, which consisted of me shoving a stake through her vampire heart as she snapped my neck, causing me to become what she was, and after she turned Damon in the process of her evil-scheme-gone-awry.

"I didn't know how long we'd be out here, so I brought it for you in case the sun came up," he replied. Whether I liked it or not, my brother was always looking out for me. "It's just a shame that Katherine was the one who gave it to us."

I stared at the silver ring that I slid onto my middle finger on my left hand. The blue lapis lazuli stone surrounded the Salvatore family crest. Damon had gotten the same ring from Katherine at some point in her plot to string us along, but the only difference was that there was a letter "S" on the center of my family crest on my ring, and Damon's had a "D" in that spot.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"At least the new look-alike has a better personality," he mumbled as he continued pacing.

The new look-alike was in reference to Elena.

Sweet, beautiful, sexy, kind, Elena.

I could picture her now with her straight brown hair and her cute little cheerleading outfit. I haven't actually gone to school with her, but she had a picture of her in the uniform sitting on her dresser. My sweet, sweet, Elena. The same Elena that I haven't seen since I turned into a vampire. She'd kissed me that night, and I wanted to melt. Even after all the time, she'd kissed me back, and that's what mattered.

I was pulled out of my thoughts to see Damon staring at me, "What?"

"You're thinking of her aren't you?" he asked with a knowing glimmer in his blue eyes.

I sighed deeply and nodded.

"That's it!" he smiled.

"What's it?" I asked, confused.

"Stefan, you're able to focus when you think of Elena," Damon noted. "I know you haven't seen her in a few weeks, but it's for your own good and her safety. If you can control your appetite, then you can see her. Focus on Elena, Stef! You're tracking the rabbit for Elena! You will catch it so you can get one step closer to seeing her. Close your eyes and picture her, and once you get the scent of whatever animal that isn't human, you hunt it."

I obeyed and closed my eyes.

My mind called up a picture of Elena. Her beautiful chocolate brown eyes glistened in the light as she looked up at me. It was at the park after we'd made love for the first time. Her small body cuddled up against me as she watched the little children play. She'd told me that she wanted kids, and at that particular moment, I'd told her that I didn't much want any. I've matured since then. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I'd truly matured or the fact that I was murdered in cold blood and saw my life flash before my very eyes, but I now wanted to give Elena anything in the world. Sadly, I couldn't give her what she wanted, because my reproductive system has died. I wished so bad to give her children, but I couldn't, and in a way that broke my heart. Although, I was just happy to be alive and able to see Elena…if only I could control myself and keep in check…

…_DEER!_

I ran without a second thought in the direction of which I heard the animal. Damon was hot on my trail as if to make sure the scent I got wasn't that of a human's, "That's excellent, Stef! Remember, you're the hunter!"

I snarled out of hunger and ran faster.

My body took itself towards the animal and my fangs protruded without me controlling them. I knew my eyes were red, but I was too much involved to care.

The deer was grazing in the field, and a part of me tried to consider another prey than this beautiful, innocent one, but my fangs had already sung themselves into its jugular as I broke its neck and killed it.

Damon lurked in the background as he allowed me to eat my kill freely. He was my protector - he always has been.

"Good job, Little Brother," he smirked when I was finished. "It's not a rabbit, but at least it's not a human. You should take that deer to the children's center here in town. There are hungry, homeless kids, and hunters to prepare the deer. You're not going to eat the meat anyhow."

It was a good idea, so I opened the abdomen so it looked like I drained the blood naturally, "Should I just tell them I hit it with my car and then got it fixed."

"That may take a bit of compulsion, but it's a good enough story," Damon agreed.

We went into town, dropped off the deer, and had a celebratory drink for my small accomplishment.


	2. Seeing Her Again

"Don't be so upset, Stef," Damon replied as I slouched on the couch. "You managed to learn how to hunt and donate to charity at the same time. You'll see her soon."

"Yeah, you said that two weeks ago," I sighed.

I truly missed Elena, and I hadn't seen her since I turned. I've had no contact with her at all. Apparently it was what was best for both of us until I could learn the ways of being a vampire so I could control myself.

It didn't mean I didn't miss her terribly, though.

"Look," Damon said as he put his drink down and sat up to look me in the eyes, "I know it's hard. I know you miss her, and that you miss her even more because vampire senses are increased tenfold, but I promise you'll see her soon."

I just looked away as I became even more lost in thought.

"I'll get it," I eventually heard Damon say after a few minutes. That was funny, because I didn't even hear a knock at the door.

He opened it before the person had time to knock, apparently.

I didn't stick around to see who it was. Instead, I went into the kitchen to cook whatever food we had left in the fridge. I didn't go grocery shopping much anymore because we didn't have much company and my body lived without human food, but as long as I had a healthy vampire diet, then I could eat whatever human food I wanted without it affecting me negatively. Actually, most of the food tasted much better now with my enhanced taste buds.

"Is he here?" I heard a female voice ask from the other room.

Better: I recognized the voice.

Best: It was Elena!

"Yeah," I heard Damon reply, "but you remember the rule, right?"

"Of course, Damon," I heard her growl. "The deal was I nearly overdose on vervain in my system so Stefan will be less likely to hurt me. In all honesty, I think it's bullshit that I have to do it. Stefan seemed in control the night he was changed, so I don't see how he could be uncontrollable now."

So…Damon thought I would hurt Elena? He was a real overprotective bastard at times.

I wasn't able to hold it in anymore - my Elena was in my home! If I listened I could hear her heartbeat. Thus, with lightning speed I ran into the living room and stopped at the doorway. The breeze from my speed caused a wisp of her hair to fly around her face, and while tucking it behind her ear she looked my way. Her eyes settled and locked with mine, and she looked at me with her mouth slightly open as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.

I cracked a big smile and walked to her with human speed. She completed the distance with a short run and she wrapped her arms tightly around me. She smelled of citrus, and I could feel where her hair was slightly damp from the shower she must've taken. I wrapped my arms around her as tight as I could, but I didn't add any strength for fear of hurting her. I could sense Damon close by, but he must've flown upstairs to give us as much safe privacy as possible.

I rested my face in her hair and took in her scent like there was no tomorrow, and she kissed me on the neck. It sent a strong tingling through my body. Even the slightest touch sent my enhanced emotions on a rollercoaster ride.

"Oh, Elena, I've missed you so much!" I said into her hair as I kissed the top of her head.

"I'm here now," she whispered. "I love you so much, Stefan."

"I love you, too," I replied.

Her delicate body clung to mine, and I felt as if my whole world was right again.

"Did you miss me?" she asked as her voice slightly rumbled against my skin.

"More than you'd ever imagine," I replied.

"Well, good," she laughed, "because I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes."

I obeyed.

"Alright," she said. "Open them!"

In front of my face I saw two airline tickets headed for New Jersey in two weeks. The tickets notified me that we were to land at the one closest to the Lincoln tunnel, which lead into New York City!

"Elena," I breathed, "you are the greatest woman - besides my mother - that I've ever known. Thank you so much!"

"So…" she hesitated, "that means I beat Katherine, right?"

It seemed like forever since I heard that name, but at the same time I could've dealt with never hearing it again, "You make Katherine seem like a pathetic choice on my part."

I pecked her on the lips, and heard Damon flying down the stairs, "Congratulations, Little Brother! We're going to see Mommy Dearest soon!"

"We?" I asked. "I thought this ticket was for Elena."

"It is," she replied. "Caroline won four tickets off of the radio a few days ago and she received them today. We're also going to see _Wicked_ on Broadway!"

"That's the one about the _Wizard of Oz_, right?" I asked. I've seen many Broadway plays in my time since I lived in the heart of New York, and I wasn't exactly sure which one she was talking about.

"Yes!" she seemed to almost squeal with excitement. "It's playing at the Gershwin Theatre. I've already read the book, and listened to the soundtrack! It's sounds so good!"

"Stefan and I saw that about eight years ago," Damon cut in. "He loved the song _Defying Gravity_, but the Time Dragon scared the crap out of him."

Damon proceeded to laugh.

"I wasn't scared," I stated. "I just wasn't fond of it. I was ten, Damon." As soon as he mentioned the Time Dragon, I knew which play it was.

Elena rolled her eyes, "I don't care! I'm just so excited to see it, and I'm really happy that Caroline offered to send you and Damon with us because she knew you were from there."

"What about Bonnie?" I asked.

"She and Jeremy are spending the summer with each other," she replied. "They'll be at the lake house for a few weeks, and then they're going up to Massachusetts for the rest of the summer with her other relatives."

"You're sending Caroline, huh?" Damon spoke after a short interval of silence.

"Yes," Elena glared at him.

"Good," he smirked before running at a humanly blinding speed up the stairs.

I turned back to Elena, "What do you want to do?"

She gave me a smile, and pecked me on the lips as she wrapped her arms around my waist, "Let's sit on the couch."

I made my way over to the couch near the arm, and she sat down, put her feet up after taking off her shoes, and snuggled into my side as I put my arm around her. Her head was on my shoulder where it met my neck, and she sighed contently.

"This is all I want to do," she whispered as she put her arm across my chest. "I just want to be near you enough to touch you."

I smiled and kissed the top of her head.

We stayed like that until she fell asleep, and I adjusted accordingly so her head was on a pillow in my lap and her small, petite body was sprawled across the couch. I played with her hair until she awoke the next day.


	3. Victoria's Secret

I'd spent every waking moment with Elena unless I was hunting. Hell, I even went shopping with her and Caroline for a whole new wardrobe. Most normal men who were straight would've drawn the line at entering Victoria's Secret because that certain secret was one that was best kept as a mystery to the male gender, but I went in there with them. I really wanted to leave there soon after entering, though, because every piece of lingerie or undergarments I looked at were ones I pictured Elena wearing, and thus I learned the hard way that vampires could definitely still get erections.

The other reason is that the many different smells of perfume were getting unbearable to a vampire's nose.

I didn't see what she bought, but I knew it was going to take a lot of self-control if I ever saw her in it.

One particular scent of perfume caught my nose, so while the girls were off doing their thing, I made my way to the counter that made my nostrils want to shrivel up and die. There was a blonde at the register.

"Is there a fragrance that you were specifically looking for?" she asked in a cheery voice, which was no doubt mandated in her job description.

I twisted my mouth into a contemplating smile, "Not really. Like most guys, I don't know how to choose. There may be some kind of ritual that commences beforehand."

She laughed, "Well, we have testers for every bottle here on this silver tray."

"Did you see that brunette with the blonde that went around the corner?" I asked. She nodded, "Well, she's my girlfriend, and we're going to New York City for a bit. I wanted to get her something nice, but I used to live there and know how much stuff costs, so I figured I'd get her something here that she'd like."

"Hmm," she contemplated. "Well, we have three different fragrances that may just fit the occasion. They're Rare Pearls, Tattooed, and one other one." She picked each out as she said them.

She sprayed the first one on her wrist and held it up to my nose, "This one is the Rare Pearls."

I sniffed it and wrinkled my nose, "It's alright, but it smells… I don't even know how to explain it."

"Too serious and sophisticated for the trip you're going on?" she finished.

"Exactly," I said. "I never realized that perfumes could be fit into a description, but yes, that's exactly how it smells. It's not a business trip."

"Alright," she said as she held up the Tattooed bottle and sprayed it on her other wrist, "how about this one?"

She held her other wrist up to my nose, and that one was better, "I really like that one, but it seems _too_ playful. I guess I want something that's sweet and playful, but also…_sexy_." Yeah, that was the word.

She smiled and handed me the third bottle that wasn't labeled, "This one is perfect then; I promise."

I held the tester up to my nose…

It _was_ perfect!

I nodded, "Yes, this is the one."

"That's a newer one, but also one of my personal favorites," she smiled.

"What's it called?" I asked.

"It's called _Vampire_, by Body Fantasies."

I laughed, "I'll take this one and the Tattooed one."

Oh, the irony.


	4. New York, New York!

Apparently, with the lovely package deal that Caroline won, the date to make Broadway was the very next day, so that afternoon, we all caught our flight. Elena and I had middle row seats next to some lady who wouldn't stop talking about her new house on the beach. All four of us, Caroline, Damon, Elena, and I, thought that she may have gotten on the wrong flight, because there were no beaches in New York City. She was older (maybe early seventies), and she said that we could call her Kitty.

Damon and Caroline sat across from us on the right side. Damon had the window seat, because Caroline wanted to talk with Elena, who had the outer middle seat, leaving me to have the most conversation with the one we called Kitty.

When we'd arrived at the airport, the four of us unloaded and waited on the conveyor belt for our luggage. Caroline's was turquoise with pink polka dots on it, which totally seemed to fit her personality and the clothes in the suitcase. She had a matching bag for toiletries and other things that women feel the need to bring with them. Elena had a green suitcase with an insert-able picture pouch. On the first one, she had a family portrait with her parents and Jeremy. The second one was taken earlier today and it was of her and me. It was the newest addition to the design. The last was a group picture that included Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, and Tyler.

I had a simple suitcase. It was black, and my name was sewn into it in white, so when I saw a bag labeled 'S. Salvatore' on it, I was ready to grab and go. Damon only had a carryon bag, which he crammed full of everything and threw into the shelf above his seat. His excuse was that he traveled light, and that he'd buy new luggage and clothes in New York. Apparently, to him, the more expensive anything was the better.

The girls took the lead in exiting the airport while Damon and I hung back. We still needed to call two cabs to come and pick us up.

I retrieved my phone from my pocket and dialed the local cab company. I'd memorized this number, for I'd used it many times. I listened while the phone dialed.

"So, how does it feel to be reunited with Stefan?" Caroline nudged Elena's side with her elbow.

"I'm thankful to have him," she simply replied. "How's the Damon situation?"

"It's so great!" she chimed. "I mean, we aren't in an actual relationship, but he's great in bed. We did it once, and every now and then I'd call him, which resulted in him coming over and everything happening all over again."

I heard Elena stifle a gag, "I've only been with Stefan like that once, but it was…different."

"Hello, Yellow Taxi, how may I help you?" the receiver clicked with an operator.

"Hello," I began. "I need two taxis to take us to NYC."

I proceeded to give him our location and the exact address to where we were going.

"Ooh, different how?" Caroline pressed. I was curious, too.

"Well, I'd been with Matt before," she whispered, "and…"

I'd hated the thought of Matt doing the same thing that Elena and I had done. It just seemed wrong, but of course, I had my past, too.

"Spit it out," Caroline smiled.

"It was just different," Elena blushed. "I don't know. With Matt, it was like a typical teen sex story without the pregnancy that followed, but with Stefan…wow."

"I need specifics, Elena," Caroline pursed her lips.

"It was more…" she searched for the words, "intimate. Yeah, intimate. I felt that Stefan and I were the only two in the world, like nothing else mattered. He didn't pressure me or rush me. I mean, Matt didn't either, but it wasn't the same. Stefan was gentle, yet strong and firm. He didn't just dress and leave to prepare for a football game, either. He stayed and continued to stroke my hair and kiss me even after the deed was done. He even showered with me afterwards. It was great in there, too, because the enclosed space was intimate, as well."

I remembered that day well. The ordeal began when we'd both accused each other of jealousy. I'd gotten sick of yelling at her and proceeded to push her up against the kitchen wall and violate her lips for a short second. When I began to leave, she grabbed my hand. I'd exchanged a few words about my mixed emotions, and she was the one who pushed me up against the wall then. I picked her up, ascended the stairs, found her room, put her on the bed, and made good use of it. We took an intimate shower afterwards, not because we felt dirty, but because it was the fact that our lovemaking had us drenched in sweat (me in particular). I made sure to cater to Elena's every whim and make her feel the most comfortable as she gave me her body. I felt bad at first, since I wasn't positively sure if I was with her because she was the doppelganger of Katherine - my former girlfriend - or if I genuinely wanted her. After I'd quickly decided that I was with Elena for Elena, our escapade was damn near perfect. The shower was just an extra luxury. It was an enclosed space, and I took pride in being able to rub a soapy cloth over Elena's delicate shoulders and back before I rinsed and kissed each spot. I took time in soaping up her body, for I wanted to divulge in it first and examine it from head to toe.

I'd realized that the memory had caused me to stop, and when I'd come back to reality, the other three people were staring at me.

"Stefan?" Elena said softly. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I shook my head in attempts to clear it. "My mind just kind of got away from me for a moment."

"Oh," she mumbled as she turned around and continued walking with Caroline.

"What was that all about?" Damon asked. "Were you having an intimate fantasy? Was Elena lying on a big bed with black covers while wearing red lipstick?"

"What? No," I said with a "you-should-really-be-minding-your-own-business" look. "Where'd you get that assumption?"

"Because most people don't get aroused by the sound of a woman on an intercom announcing arrivals and departures," he stated. "If you're going to get excited, at least try to hide it."

I looked down, and through my jeans, my crotch had grown immensely. I cursed under my breath and pulled my shirt down while taking the sweater Damon offered me and tied it around my waist to keep the shirt there.

"If you must know," I breathed. "I wasn't thinking of Elena and red lipstick. I was remembering the time we were together."

"Oh, the day you and I both got it in?" he asked, most likely recalling the memory of him and Caroline doing the horizontal mambo on the same day.

"Yeah," I said with lameness.

"Oh," he said with a smirk. "Well, when Caroline wears red lipstick, I'm hardly able to resist her, but don't tell anyone that. Some may think of it as a sign of weakness, and I'm not weak."

"Really?" I asked, in reference to Caroline. "She's wearing red lipstick today."

"I know!" he yell-whispered. "I'm so excited it's ridiculous, but you don't see a jacket tied around my waist."

I shook my head and waited outside for a taxi. It was August, and very hot. It was great in New York because the sky scrapers cut out the sun, and there was always a slight breeze, so it was perfect weather.

Elena came out and looped her arm through mine. I kissed the top of her head.

"Twenty bucks says that before this trip is over, Damon and Caroline will hook up again," she whispered in my ear.

"I'm not taking that bet," I laughed, "because you'd win."

She chuckled.

"I can't wait to see my Mom again," I said casually. "She hasn't seen me since June."

"I'm kind of nervous," she laughed shakily. "What if she doesn't like me, Stefan?"

"Are you kidding me?" I laughed. "If she can love someone like Damon, then she'll _adore_ you!"

"Yeah," she said, "but she gave birth to him. Damon's her son, and I'm the girl who stole her other one away. What'll she think of me?"

"Well," I began. "Technically, you didn't steal me away - Katherine dying did. I just stayed down there long enough to begin a relationship with you, and make a current address there. It was of my own choice. I don't think my car could've stood not being driven any longer anyhow. Traffic in The City sucks."

"The show on Broadway is tomorrow at the Gershwin Brothers Theatre," she said to change the subject. "What do you think would be appropriate apparel?"

I thought about apparel, and which was appropriate for specific situations, and a few dark fantasies that involved Elena, lingerie, silk sheets…and red lipstick. Ugh, Damon.

"Formal," I answered with a squeaky voice. I wiped a bead of sweat from my forehead off on Damon's sweater. "Not like ballroom gowns. Nice pants, good top, maybe an evening dress - whatever works."

"Oh."

Damon came up behind me and grabbed my shoulder before whispering into my ear, "She's wearing lingerie under her clothing, brother."

"Who?" I asked.

"Caroline," he gulped. "I felt it when I put my hand on her back to lead her to you and Elena. It's silk! I'm a dead man. Well, metaphorically, of course."

I laughed under my breath, "Do you need your sweater back?"

"Yes."

"Well, too bad."

He groaned and zipped up his black leather jacket, which didn't reach his nether-regions, but would help hide it since he was also wearing black jeans.

Caroline approached Elena and me, and for the first time today, I'd noticed she was wearing a black dress with short sleeves that ended at her mid-thigh. Accompanied with her wavy locks and red lipstick, along with her heeled black ankle-boots, it was no wonder why Damon had a hard time controlling himself. She looked beautiful, but Elena looked perfect, and even though it was an opportunity that I could've taken, I never dated Caroline. She was my friend, and I never saw her as anything more. _Damon_, however, was practically drooling as he looked at her, and undoubtedly fantasized about her and that lipstick she was wearing. I thought it was even funnier since the two matched. They both donned all black.

Elena looked amazing in anything, so it didn't quite hit me on how different her outfit was until I looked at Caroline and compared them.

Her long, soft, straight, delicate brown hair fell to her waist and accented her equally brown doe eyes. She had dark blue jeans on that hugged her ankles, and matched her black and white Converse shoes. She wore a long-sleeved red shirt, and she clung onto a stuffed bear and a diary. I didn't ask about the two artifacts in her possession. Instead, I kept my mouth shut and held onto the handles of our suitcases.

Damon had his bag over his shoulder. He didn't carry Caroline's suitcase. He could honestly be a gentleman, but I guess he figured that his dark persona might've been lessened if the public saw him wheeling a turquoise suitcase with pink polka dots behind him.

"Damon, aren't you sweating in that jacket?" Caroline asked him as she put a lithe hand on his broad shoulder.

He looked at her and gave a fake smile, "No."

"He's sweating, but not from the jacket," I mumbled softly to myself so only Damon heard. He conspicuously jabbed me in my side.

Just as I was about to retaliate, two taxis from the Yellow Cab company pulled up in front of us as they held out signs with one saying 'Salvatore/Gilbert' and the other saying 'Salvatore/Forbes'.

"Well, I _wonder_ which Salvatore is riding with which girl," Damon muttered sarcastically.

"Don't be a jerk, Damon," I whispered.

He snorted and grabbed Caroline's elbow as he led her to the taxi behind the one Elena and I headed towards.

I allowed her to get in first, and I trailed behind while the driver got in and put the car in gear.

"So, you are a-going to The City, _s__ì_?" he said in a thick foreign accent. "To 3221 East, _correcto_?"

"Yes," I said. "The cab behind us is supposed to go to the same place."

The cabbie nodded and started speaking fluent Spanish into a car radio, most likely to the cabbie behind us.

He was quiet the rest of the way, and I seemed to hold Elena closer and tighter to me once we entered the tunnel.

"Stefan, what's wrong?" she asked as she placed a palm on my chest.

"I've never liked this tunnel," I said honestly.

"Why not? It's just a tunnel." she replied.

"It's pretty much a five mile long tunnel that's completely underwater."

"What?" she said quickly. "Wow. You're a vampire, though. You can hold your breath if something happened."

"Yeah, but you can't," I replied as I pulled her closer to me, if that were even possible.

"I'll be fine," she mumbled into my chest. "I wonder what Caroline and Damon are acting the same way. She's not too fond of tunnels, either."

"No," I snorted. "He's probably laughing at her. Damon's not one for public displays of emotion."

She rolled her eyes and settled closer.

When the end of the tunnel was nearing, I caught her attention.

"Elena, we're about to go into The City," I said quietly.

Her head perked up and I could hear her heartbeat pick up with anticipation of seeing a new landscape that was more than just _different_ from her native Virginia—it was like a whole different world.

I grasped her hand as she rubber-necked out the window to get a glimpse of the approaching scenery. Behind us, Caroline was doing the same thing, and the two yelled at each other.

"Can you believe this, Elena?" Caroline screamed.

"It's amazing!" Elena replied.

Caroline was about to scream back, but I watched Damon's silhouette grab her waist and pull her back to them. He wasn't into all this. He'd already seen this before because he'd lived her, along with me, but I wasn't going to begrudge my girlfriend the right to be astonished at something she'd only ever seen in magazines and movies.

Her breath caught in her throat, and I thought that maybe she'd accidentally swallowed a bug, but I realized that it was from amazement at the tall skyscrapers, billboards, and the overpopulation of people from all around the world.

The sun was making the metal on the huge buildings sparkle, and Elena had to don a pair of sunglasses. The cabbie began making small talk.

"Is this her first time in New York City?" he asked in a thick accent.

"Yes," I laughed.

"Is it not your first time?"

"No," I replied. "I used to live her up until two months ago."

He nodded in acknowledgement.

"Stefan," Elena said as she practically blinded me with her smile, "it looks just like it does in movies!"

I grinned, "It does, but sadly that also includes the homeless people pushing shopping carts and the violence."

She quirked her lips, "That's sad, but at least there are good things here, too."

I pulled her close to me and we continued to talk about The City as we made our way to the heart of it.

The cabbie sent a Spanish message to the cabbie behind us and dropped us off in Times Square.

"I'm sorry, sir," he said, "but there is a big jam in traffic down the street you want to be dropped off at, so the closest we could get was here."

"That's fine," I said. Elena would probably want to walk anyhow. "How much do I owe you?"

"One hundred," he said.

My eyes bulged, "One hundred?"

"Yes, _chico_," he said sympathetically. "Our rates went up for out of state pick-ups. Since I picked you up in New Jersey and brought you to New York, there's now a fifty dollar charge."

I huffed through my nose, but gave the driver his money and got our luggage from the trunk. He drove away just as Damon and Caroline were getting their stuff out of their cab. Damon had the same little fit as I did when his cabbie told him the charge would be a hundred dollars. He approached me when he was finished cussing to himself in French and Italian.

"Can you believe the new rates?" he asked as he stuck his hands out in disbelief. "They didn't even take us to our destination!"

"I know, Damon," I replied, "but we're in New York City, remember? You should be used to the high prices. Everyone gets ripped off here."

"I guess," he breathed out. "He's just lucky he left in one piece with nothing broken."

"Temper, temper, brother," I chuckled. "I'd think the girls would want to walk and see everything anyway.

He groaned, "Tourists."

He proceeded to grab Caroline by the arm gently and begin the walk to our mother's home.

I grabbed Elena's hand and intertwined our fingers as I rolled my suitcase behind me. The girls did the same with their luggage. Damon threw his bag over his shoulder and had his other hand on Caroline's upper arm protectively, as if he'd bite anyone who looked at her and her red lipstick.

"It's a few blocks down, but the walk shouldn't be too bad," I said to Elena, who was looking at all the people and skyscrapers that looked like they could reach up to Heaven.

"I'll be alright," she said in her amazement.

After three blocks, Caroline had to take a break, "Guys, I need to rest for a bit. My shoes are killing my feet."

"Serves you right for wearing heels in a city that's main use of transportation is walking," Damon chastised as he continued.

Unlike him, though, Elena and I stopped.

"There's a tourist store right over there," Elena pointed out. "Maybe you could buy some flip-flops."

"No," I said instantly. "They'll make you pay a fortune for them and there's no doubt they'll break within the first twenty-four hours. Do you have another pair of shoes in your suitcase?"

"They're all the way at the bottom," she said with a frown.

"Ugh, screw it," Damon said as he made his way back to us. He grabbed the shirt of a random guy that walked past us and looked him in the eye. "You're going to roll this woman's luggage behind you, and you will not run away like the thief I know you are."

"Yes," the young man with black hair slicked back in place with gel said. "Let me take your bag, Miss."

"He's trustworthy," Damon reassured Caroline.

Caroline handed the young man her bag, "I believe you, Damon, but I'm not so sure I should."

"If he runs off with it, I'll buy you a whole new wardrobe, suitcase, and more," Damon told her.

"Why don't you two girls go look around in that store for a few minutes?" I said to Elena and Caroline. The two ran for the store without another word.

"What are you doing, Stefan?" Damon yelled. "I want to get to Mom's sooner, not later."

"Relax, Damon," I said. "They're going to look regardless. I want to know what that just was."

"What do you mean?" he said.

"We don't know this man," I explained, "and he's a sure robber. I can tell, but he's still here and obeying you. How'd you do that?"

"Oh," he smirked. "I never explained compulsion to you, did I?"

"No."

"You look someone in the eye, order them to do something, and if you do it right, they do it," he said. "Give it a try. Tell him to do something."

I wasn't too fond of ordering a stranger around, but it couldn't do much harm if I don't order him to do anything bad.

I approached the man and looked him in the eye, "Jump up and down ten times."

His pupils dilated and before I knew it, the man was jumping up and down on the sidewalk, gaining glares and looks that I guessed to be a person's inner debate as to whether the man in front of me was off his rocker or not.

"Good job, little brother," Damon mimicked clapping. "Your fast learning has allowed me to go into the store and retrieve the two spending buddies."

He left into the store, and I looked at the man again, "Run as fast as you can with the suitcase and don't stop until you find a place to ruin it."

Before I had time to blink, the man was already off in a sprint as if he was an Olympic runner. Those thieves are great runners.

He was halfway down the street and then entered the staircase to enter the underground subway station. I laughed quietly before I ran into the store.

"Caroline, he took off with your suitcase!" I said in a mock breathless tone. "I tried to stop him, but he was too fast."

If looks could kill, Damon would've executed me on the spot, "You. Did. Not."

I smirked to myself as the two girls went rushing out the door to make sure that their ears didn't deceive them, "You wanted them out of the store, right?"

"I'd kill you if you weren't my brother," he said, his blue eyes were like death.

As I exited, Caroline was sitting on a bench with her head in her hands and Damon was standing across from her.

"I thought I could believe you, Damon," she said. "Everything but my phone, passport, and wallet was in there."

He groaned as he knelt in front of her and took her hands so she'd look at him, "I made you a promise, Caroline, and I intend to keep it. Tonight, you and Elena can go shopping at the best stores and you can buy anything you want."

Her eyes lit up a bit, "What about my shoes? I can't walk any further in them, Damon. My heels will bleed if I do."

Damon stood up and exhaled sharply through his nose, "Take them off."

"What?" she said in disbelief.

"You heard me," he said. "Take them off, and you"—he threw his bag at me and I caught it—"carry that until we get to Mom's."

Caroline had her shoes off by this time, "Elena, would you put these in your bag?"

Elena took Caroline's shoes and slid them into her green suitcase with ease.

"What now," she asked Damon.

"Stand up on the bench," he ordered.

She complied, but with hesitation, "Why should I trust you? You just let some guy run off with my luggage."

"Would you rather walk in your heels or barefoot the rest of the way?" he said with a cocked eyebrow.

"No."

"Then trust me."

She huffed and within a blink of an eye, Damon had turned his back to her, grabbed her legs, and pulled them out from under her as he wrapped them around his waist. She had to wrap her arms around his neck quickly before she fell off. Despite her luggage being stolen, she giggled, and Damon gave a cocky half smile. Elena adjusted her dress so it didn't show anything, and we continued walking.

Caroline leaned up and planted a kiss on Damon's cheek, "Thanks."

She turned his head to look at her, "You're welcome, but don't get used to it."

Damon carried Caroline piggy back style all the way to our mother's house.


	5. Meeting Mom

"Oh, it's my boys!" Mom screamed when she saw us enter through the kitchen door. She was frying something that smelled very good. "What an amazing surprise!"

"Hi, Momma," I said as I rushed quickly over to her to wrap my arms around her small, short frame to hug her. Damon followed suit after me.

Our mother, Nicolette Devereaux-Salvatore, lived in the only special house in New York City. It sat in the back corner, practically hidden by skyscrapers, with a nice yard and a guest house. I was almost certain it was the only house for miles, excluding those by Central Park. It was white, with brick foundation and blue shutters. It was fenced in, and our mother quite enjoyed where she lived.

Damon and I towered over her from inheriting our father's height, but Damon got most of her features, such as the blue eyes, thick lashes, and almost black hair. Currently, hers was cut into a short bob that angled the sweet and motherly features of her face. She had only a few wrinkles around her eyed and mouth from where she smiled, or from all of the times I got on her last nerve.

Mom turned away from us to acknowledge that there were two other people in the house, and when she'd set her eyes on Elena, her eyes bulged and she grabbed her heart.

"_Oh, mon Dieu_," she whispered in shock.

"Wait, Mom!" I said as I caught her from being weak in the knees. Damon helped me get her into a chair. "That's not Katherine, that's Elena!"

"Elena?" she said. "Stefan, she looks exactly like Katherine with straight hair!"

"Elena is her uh, _twin_ sister," Damon piped in.

"You didn't tell me they were identical," Mom replied. "Stefan, you told me that you were going down to Virginia for Katherine's funeral and that you were going to stay. You've talked to me since then, but you didn't bother telling me that she was an identical twin. I think you boys want me to have a heart attack."

That was the story, kind of. Grayson, Elena's real father, and Miranda, Elena's real mother, had divorced and separated. Grayson moved up here to New York, Katherine found him, and compelled him to be her father. I remember her story as if it were yesterday…

"_Grayson Gilbert wasn't my father. Actually, he was my great-great-great-and plus some grandson. I'm very old, Stefan. I went to Virginia first on my way to the beach for some sun and relaxation. The lapis lazuli ring prevents my burning, but anyhow, I passed through Mystic Falls on my way there since it's what you would call a "boomtown" for supernatural creatures. I was in town for a few days when I ran into the original Salvatore brothers. I played them along as well. When I got tired of one, I just switched to the other and vice versa. Needless to say, I never made it to Virginia Beach. Eventually, I would come back to this town every now and then after the Salvatore's died to see if any other ones came along to toy with when I found Elena. The poor girl didn't know she was my doppelganger and destined for a life of fear, and when her parents divorced when she was eight, I was determined to become involved with my descendants. I never realized that the Gilberts were descendants of mine until Elena. After that, Grayson and Miranda divorced, and I compelled him to move to New York and pretend that I was his other daughter - Elena's twin sister. I did the same to Miranda and Elena, but I went with him to the Big Apple and made a life there as Katherine Pierce, the daughter of Grayson Gilbert. I even made up a back story for people who wondered why my last name was Pierce, and of course, you know that one because you asked me the question long ago."_

"_What do you mean "toy" with both Salvatore Brothers?" I blurted out, but nearly regretted being thrown into another wall._

"_Patience, Stefan, I'm getting there," she replied with a devilish grin. "Once I was in New York, I devised a plan to separate Grayson and Miranda forever by making them hate each other. It would've made Elena's life miserable, and I took joy in that, though I don't know exactly why. I guess it was boredom. Anyway, my plan was about to be set into motion until I went to school and found out about a young man named Stefan Salvatore."_

_She smiled at me, "After that, you took up all of my time. I played the innocent little girl that you immediately seemed to fall head-over-heels for, and when I found out you had a brother, oh, the joy it brought me to realize I could repeat my past all over again! It wasn't long until I was a significant part of your life and had all of your family loving me - including Damon._

"_I flirted with him behind your back all of the time, and it only made him look bad because I'd compel him not to be able to remember my flirting, but only his own, which caused your tightly-knit brotherly bond to unwind before your very eyes, and there was nothing either of you could do about it._

"_But then when I realized that after he "tried to kiss me" - which is actually a lie because we were going hot and heavy before you walked in and I compelled him to lie and think he didn't really kiss me but tried to - he was graduating a week later and then flying to Italy the night of his graduation to live with his father, Giuseppe, I became somewhat heartbroken to find out that my fun was going to be over. If your parents would've divorced then it wouldn't have happened and I could still be having fun and leading you along. Since that didn't work, though, I decided to take matters into my own hands._

"_The plan was to bring you together by having Grayson reunite with Miranda so they'd become a family again. Then, just as they'd start to become a family again, they'd die in a car accident and I'd be the only survivor. I figured you and Damon would be so worried and shaken up that he'd rush home and the games would continue, but that's not how it happened._

"_The driver I compelled to hit Grayson's car didn't seem to realize that I was the one sitting in the back seat on the driver side and not Elena, so as he did his job by hitting and killing Elena's parents, he failed at killing her because his car was aimed to kill me instead. Had I been human, I would've died, but I saw the crash coming and braced myself by lying in the seat and putting my hand to the door to stop its impact on me. I should've known better because all it did was punch that little spot of the car out of the frame leaving a handprint. The car hit lower and cut me from my chest to my thigh. I must say it hurt, but I healed easily enough._

"_Sadly, it didn't kill Elena, for she swam out of the car before I could grab her and drown her, so I had to lay down there in the car at the bottom of the godforsaken river and play dead for eight hours until I could get into the morgue and compel the medical examiner to B.S. my death report._

"_I tried to dispose of that little chunk of metal by burying it deep in the riverbed before I was retrieved from the water, but apparently it came up, because Elena found it. Since I knew this little piece of evidence would be the one thing that prevented you from stopping the search for "my killer", I had to take matters into my own hands once again. So, I showed up in your dreams and made sure you and Damon were together, which is probably why he got so mad when you came back into the flower store. It wasn't Elena, but rather me, there talking to him and telling him the plan to corrupt you. He was a vampire by that time. I changed him after my burial ceremony, and he's been so angry with you that he'll to anything to make you insane. That's why his emotions are so up and down. One minute he's nice, the next he's close to Satan himself. It's all for you, Stef."_

"We're sorry, right Stefan?" Damon told our mother as he mumbled "earth to Stefan" under his breath.

It snapped me out of my daze, and I agreed quickly.

Elena approached me and I took her hand.

"Mother," I began. "This is Elena Gilbert. Elena, this is my mother, Nicolette."

"It's nice to meet you," Elena said as she stuck out her hand in a friendly gesture.

My mother took it, but had a bit of commentary, "My goodness, you even sound like her, too."

It was Damon's turn to introduce his guest, and he put his hand on the small of Caroline's back as he nudged her in front of him, "Mom, this is Caroline Forbes. Caroline, meet my mother."

"Hello, Nicolette," Caroline said as they shook hands.

Our mother put her hands on her hips after shaking and frowned as she looked down, "Miss Caroline Forbes, where are your shoes?"

"Oh," Caroline laughed a bit. "They hurt, and so I took them off. Damon carried me here."

Mom looked at him as if he had four eyes, "You're talking about Damon Salvatore—as in, _my son_, Damon Salvatore?"

Caroline laughed, "Yes."

"Come on, Mom," Damon whined. "Give me some credit. I mean, I did save Stefan's life once."

_Then tried to kill my by draining me dry_, I mentally added.

She laughed, "I'm kidding, Damon. I haven't seen you in years. It's lovely to see that all that Italian food didn't make you fat like your father."

There was clearly still some resentment, even after years of being divorced.

That statement was ignored, but Damon smiled anyhow.

"Well," Caroline began, "he did let some shady guy run off with my luggage."

Damon grimaced.

Mom's mouth dropped open, "So, you have nothing?"

"I only have the stuff that was in my purse, which Elena so gracefully let me put into her suitcase," Caroline answered.

"Well then he needs to take you shopping now," she smiled and looked at Damon in a chastising manner.

Damon held his hands up, "I already promised her that, Mom."

"Well, alright then."

"What's alright then?" A man said as he came entered through the same door we had.

He didn't even knock! Only close family is allowed to do that!

"Oh!" Mom smiled brightly. "Boys, Elena, Caroline, this is Andrew Ross."

He had hair a bit lighter than Elena's, and his eyes were a typical dark brown. He also looked to be about the same age as Mom. He was wearing a suit and walked in with a black briefcase.

He quietly made his way through the four of us in the kitchen to stand near Mom by the stove.

"Boys, Nicolette?" he laughed. "They're more like young men to me."

"They're always going to be my boys," she said smugly. "This is my oldest, Damon. This one here is my baby, Stefan."

He shook our hands in the pattern of which we were introduced.

"Hello, men," he said. "My name is Andrew. I'm your mother's boyfriend."

_Boyfriend?_

Oh. My. Gosh.


	6. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel

**Hello, Readers. First off, I severely apologize for not updating in what seems like forever. Leaving off with the previous chapter would be enough to make anybody want to quit reading because it wasn't a particularly fun chapter to read—it was more important than enjoyable. At least, that's how I felt writing it. Life kind of got in the way. It happens to the lot of us. This time: death, school, college applications, and a little mouse that's brave enough to come out and stare at me while I'm studying in my room. He's a jerk. I named him Vex Gonzalez because he's annoying and fast. I couldn't kill him because he got away (I'm not scared of mice, and I'll try to kill them). Anyhow, now that I've taken the time to sit down and write, I promise I'll do my best not to let you down. Thanks for sticking with me through the first story and this one. Reviews (negative or positive) are always accepted and appreciated…**

I couldn't believe that my mother had a boyfriend and didn't bother to tell neither Damon nor I. I kind of found it rude, but Andrew seemed alright. He had this tick about him that I didn't particularly like, such as continuously straightening his silverware at the dinner table and eyeing Damon every time Caroline giggled. It was kind of creepy, or maybe I was just a typical young boy trying to accept the fact that my brother and I weren't the only two males in our mother's life anymore.

Mom's house had three bedrooms, but when we were under her roof, we were under her rules, and her rules said that girls roomed with girls, and boys roomed with boys. Well, as an eighteen-year-old, stubborn vampire, I wasn't going to go by those rules.

Elena and I could've easily gone out to the guest house, but it appeared as if Andrew had made my old room his new home. That was another thing I wasn't happy about.

He'd taken the rest of my stuff and moved it into the basement of the main house. I was going to have to rent a U-Haul and compel somebody to drive it all the way to Virginia. That was the moment that it really hit me that Mom had accepted the fact that I no longer lived there and she was ready to move on without me as a co-resident. Of course that didn't mean she loved me any less, but it was a big wakeup call that made me realize that I wasn't her little boy anymore, and that Mom had accepted that fact without me.

Since Damon and I were both adults now, and refused to bend by our mother's rules (which was more of the fact that neither of us wanted to be anywhere near Andrew), we compelled a Mandarin Oriental New York hotel receptionist to get the four of us two Central Park suites, which would've easily been around $10,000 for a two night stay. Those were just the rooms. There was a pool, a gym, a spa, and room service that weren't cheap, either. It made me glad that I had the power to give Elena something she could've never dreamed of, even though that something wasn't a child.

"Okay," Damon said. "I promised that I'd take you shopping to wherever you wanted, and that you could buy anything beyond your wildest dreams, Caroline."

Her face lit up, "You weren't kidding?"

"I keep my promises," he gave her his signature smile. "First thing we're getting you is a few pairs of shoes, though. Make sure at least one is a pair of tennis shoes."

I was honestly surprised that she didn't feint. I could hear her heart rate take off like the wings of a hummingbird, and her smile couldn't get any bigger.

"How do you two have all this money?" Elena asked as she whispered into my ear. "I heard how much those rooms were, and I know that nothing is cheap in this city."

I smiled and nuzzled her neck, "I'll tell you later."

"First thing's first, though," Damon announced. "We are to go to our suites and drop off anything we aren't taking shopping."

The lobby wasn't filled with too many people, but all of them were surprised when Caroline let out a chirp of excitement over the upcoming events. She was a Virginia girl, and I was pretty sure she'd never seen any department store bigger than the mall a few miles away from town. She was definitely in for a treat.

Her sound bounced off of the marble floors and walls, and the crystal chandelier in the lobby tinkled a bit.

Caroline took off running to the elevators, and some of the ritzy people looked at her as if she was crazy, but we let her go. She was excited, and I wasn't going to deprive her of that. She'd probably never get to do this again. Elena followed her at a slower pace, but it was still considered walking faster than normal. Damon and I casually walked slowly.

"Let's see how far she gets without a room key," Damon snorted.

"I figured you'd be going after her faster," I commented. "She's running to her room with red lipstick on."

"It'll have to wait," he smiled. "Maybe she'll get some more lingerie while we're out."

"She's probably wearing something she bought at Victoria's Secret back home," I said. "I went with them to get perfume for Elena, but I didn't see what she got. It's probably what you felt under her clothes earlier."

"Let's not talk about it," Damon commented. "We vampires have vivid imaginations."

"Agreed."

When we reached the top floor, Elena was at the front of our door and Caroline was at the door beside her.

"This is a five star hotel, Miss Forbes," Damon said teasingly. "Running isn't often seen unless it's at the gym."

"Come on, Damon!" she practically whined. "Let me in. I want to see!"

Before we had time to hear the rest of the conversation, I slipped the card into the door slot, opened the door, swept Elena up, and ran into the room. The door closed and I set her down.

"There's no need to hear their useless bickering," I smiled. "They're just doing it to make up for it later."

Elena giggled, but then we took the time to look around the suite. It was beautiful.

The room had a hue of gold. The color and glow let off a warm feeling. A living room was the place we saw first, with a television against a wall and a bar off to the side. Along the hallway, paintings of the same two colors of gold and white lined the walls. At the end of the hallway was our bedroom, which seemed like a gentle simmer of warmth from the glow of the lamps and the white bed with the accented golden pillows. A floor of almost the same metal color encompassed and finished the feel, and walls were windows, which gave us a breathtaking, indescribable view of the "City That Never Sleeps". The skyscrapers seemed just a bit smaller from where we were, which was because we were at their height on the top floor of this hotel. It was the late afternoon, and I knew she'd be more than taken aback tonight. The only time we couldn't see the outside was when we went into the bathroom behind the bed, which was a cream colored tile that matched. I wondered if every room was golden. There was a glass shower with a tub beside it, and the window wasn't as large as the whole wall. Dual sinks and a large mirror took up one wall, and two robes were hung by the towel closet door. The hotel gave us complimentary soaps and scents, which were wonderful to smell, and I could just imagine how they'd smell mixed with Elena's specific scent. My eyes were closed, but then were startled open when there was a knock at the door.

I quickly went to answer it, possibly a little too fast, but regardless, there was a doorman with our luggage on a bronze cart.

"Is your name Salvatore?" he asked in a professional manner.

"Which one?" I asked. "My brother is in the next room over with the same last name."

"Stephen?" he asked. "There's also a Gilbert listed under this room."

"It's Stefan," I corrected, "but yes. That's me."

"Alright, sir," he answered. "I apologize for the mispronunciation. Here is your bag, and the one for Gilbert."

Was it normal for people to call others by their last names? It didn't matter. I tipped the bellhop and thanked him before leaving him and closing the door. Through the wall, I heard Elena giggle.

I entered the bedroom from the hallway, and she had a plush pillow on her stomach and her face nuzzled into the end of it.

"What's so funny?" I asked as she jumped. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Everything's so amazing," she smiled after her scare. "I couldn't ask for anything more."

I grinned to myself and made my way over to the windows, where I pulled the blinds, blocking us from the world. I then proceeded to stride over to the bed and jump on it, which made Elena giggle more. My instincts began to kick in as her blush crept up to her cheeks, but I tried to remain in check. After all, I wasn't hungry, but I was getting to be the other thing that tended to come with unannounced hunger…

I crawled up the king bed until I was in front of Elena, who was on her back looking at me. My body made its way further so that I was lying on her but supporting my weight on my forearms.

I felt Elena's hands creep up to my back as she looked at me. I declined my head so that my lips met hers. She smelled wonderful, and I couldn't wait until tonight. I'd plan something while all four of us were out shopping, and she'd never forget it.

"I love you, Stefan," she mumbled against my neck where she kissed.

My nose rested in her hair as I answered her.

"I love you, too."

**Search the Mandarin Oriental NYC on **_**Yahoo!**_** and you will see how luxurious it really is. It's wonderful. Sorry about the slow updates. Like I said, life gets in the way. Oh, and if you're bored and want comedic relief, search the 'gradualreport' on YouTube and become a Lemon Drop just like me. Just remember, Danny loves you and is your best friend on the Internets...:D**

**Much Love!**

**-S. A. Arkenburgh**

**P.S. If you want to be my Facebook friend, just add me (Shy Ann Arkenburgh (Ana)) and message me that you're from FanFiction. :D**


	7. Shopping

"We've been walking in this same store for twenty minutes, Caroline," Damon groaned. "Pick which pair of jeans you like best and let's go."

Caroline had seen two pairs of jeans that she really liked, and instead of choosing which one she wanted Damon to buy, she'd walked around in each pair for ten minutes each, trying to decide which ones were the most 'fashionable and-slash-or comfortable'.

"It wouldn't take so long if you'd just told me which ones looked better on me," she gave him a pointed look. "Do you like the faded blue skinnies or the lipstick red jeggings?"

Damon's confused face mirrored mine. It was no wonder he couldn't choose. Neither of us knew what "jeggings" were, and as for "skinnies", well, they were just 'jeans' to us.

"Look, Caroline," Damon said as he gestured to the cargo in both of his hands, "We've been to nine different stores and I'm carrying at least twenty-two bags with nothing but your crap in it. Just pick your pants, and let's go."

"You pick them!" she said stubbornly. "Which ones do I look better in?"

He sighed loudly and rolled his eyes, "The blue ones."

"Are you sure they fit my hips correctly?" she asked.

"Okay, the red ones," he said through his teeth as he tried to hold in his frustration.

"The front pockets are kind of shallow, though," she bit her lip as she stuck her fingers in them.

Damon suddenly dropped all of Caroline's bags, which only included shoes and clothes, and sucked in air through his nose, "You know what, Caroline? I'd like either of them. Just buy them both!"

He pulled his card out of his wallet that was in his inner coat pocket and gestured to me, "Stefan, would you get those, please."

I didn't argue because he was angry, and my own patience was dwindling, so I could only imagine how he felt. I felt for him.

Between Caroline's squeals of excitement and joy, I heard Elena sliding hangers across a rack. I grabbed the bags and turned around to look at her.

"What are you looking at?" I asked.

"Nothing, really," she admitted. "I was just sick and tired of listening to Caroline's clothing problem and decided to go look at something else."

Her fingers rested on a little navy blue dress. It seemed simple enough with short sleeves and a little white belt.

"Do you like this?" I asked.

"It's very pretty," she said as she pulled her long, wavy hair over her shoulder.

"Try it on, then," I smiled. "If you like it, I'll buy it."

"Really?" she looked up at me with her beautiful brown eyes.

"Yeah," I replied. "I'm sure we'll go to _at least_ four more stores as well. You can get some shoes to match it."

She looked at the tag, "Stefan, this dress is almost three hundred dollars. I couldn't do that to you."

"Compulsion, Elena," I smiled again.

"What's that?"

"It's the thing I said I'd tell you about later," I explained. "It's kind of a vampire mind trick. I can persuade anybody to do anything and make them forget it, such as allow me to get a three hundred dollar dress for free."

"Or a ten thousand dollar hotel room for nothing," she caught on.

"Exactly."

"Isn't that kind of, uh, wrong?" she asked.

"I guess," I said, "but a bit of indulgence once every blue moon doesn't really hurt anybody, right. I mean, without compulsion, Damon would've probably killed people for their money, or seduced them. This way nobody gets hurt."

"I guess that is better that murder," she admitted. "Have you ever compelled me?"

"No," I answered quickly. "Never."

She nodded, "I think I'll go try this on."

…

Moments later, Damon and Caroline had joined us in the sitting area outside of the dressing rooms.

"What are you doing, Stef?" he asked as I lounged in a chair.

"I'm waiting for Elena," I said. "Have a seat. I'm sure you need it."

Catching on to the fact that Caroline didn't know about Damon's species, he feigned lethargy and sat down in a chair beside me. Caroline followed suit and sat beside him.

"Are you ready?" Elena eventually called through the dressing room door.

"Show us," Caroline said with a smile on her face.

Elena stepped out from behind the door, and my eyes widened.

The dress ended at her mid-thigh, and it hugged her curves in all the right places. Her hair was flung over her shoulder, and her eyes were bright. I looked over at the two beside me. Caroline was smiling and commenting on how beautiful Elena looked…

…and I didn't like Damon's expression.

His eyes were bigger than mine, and his mouth was open in astonishment. It was a look that should have been meant for Caroline, not _my_ girlfriend.

I ignored it because I knew Elena was beyond breathtaking and any man with the correct senses would find her just as beautiful as I did, but Damon could've at least hid his gawking.

"Damon," I said. "Close your mouth before your saliva gets on your shirt."

He seemed to snap out of his thoughts and regained his façade. Caroline didn't notice his lapse, and for that I was grateful. If Elena noticed, she didn't show it.

"I'm sorry, Stefan," he whispered so that only I could hear. "For a second I saw Katherine, not Elena."

"How do I look, Stefan?" Elena asked with a timid smile.

"Your beauty is indescribable," I answered. "Forget taking it off—just wear it out of the store."

She giggled.

"Clerk!" I called as a lady made her way over to the four of us. I looked her in the eyes, "Make sure you ring this dress up. We've already paid for it."

"Yes, sir," she replied after her eyes dilated. She took her wireless scanner over to Elena, scanned the dress, took the tag and security pin off, and gave us the okay that it was ready to wear out on the town."

"You know, Elena," Caroline began, "I have a pair of white leather pumps that would go marvelous with that outfit. They'll accent the belt on your dress."

I didn't know what "pumps" were until Caroline began digging in her many bags for a shoebox. When she found it, she opened the lid and in it was a pair of heels that matched Elena's belt perfectly.

"Caroline, these are yours, though," Elena said. "I mean, they're beautiful and we do have the same shoe size, but you've never even worn them out."

"Elena," Caroline smiled. "Damon bought me twelve pairs of shoes. I'd probably not wear these much anyhow since I have a knack for making white clothes and shoes turn black quickly. Take them—have them. They match your dress perfectly."

It was true. They were a great match, and Damon didn't seem to mind that he wasted a hundred and fifty bucks on a pair of shoes for Caroline, who'd just said she wouldn't wear them a lot. Of course, he hadn't really paid for them—just compelled them to be hers. I was wondering if it had to do with the way he looked at Elena, though.

"Thank you, Caroline," Elena replied as she stepped into the shoes, "and thank you, too, Damon, since you bought them."

"Anytime," they both said in unison.

I went back to the dressing room to retrieve Elena's jeans, shirt, socks, and tennis shoes. I didn't even have to smell them up close to detect her scent on them, which happened to be a cross between beauty and perfection.

When I came out, I quickly put her belongings into the bag that held the shoebox.

"Okay," I said. "Now, let's eat at Per Se."

"What's 'Per Se'?" Caroline asked.

"It's a five star restaurant that has the tiniest amount of servings for eighty bucks a plate," Damon added sarcastically. "Luckily enough, we have the money to buy enough food to make a total of one serving _and_ have dessert."

"It's very expensive," I added, "but the food is to die for."

"Literally," Damon mumbled so that only I could hear.

"I'm in," Caroline smiled. "Next stop: Per Se."

"Hell no," Damon said abruptly. "Next stop: The Mandarin because you're obviously off your rocker if you think I'm carrying this crap all the way to the restaurant. Do you understand how many bags you have here? You could make an indestructible fort in the bags alone! We're dropping this stuff off, getting ready, _and then_ going to Per Se."

"Alright," Caroline said, seemingly unfazed. She gave Damon a quick peck on the lips, "Next stop: The Mandarin Oriental."


	8. Per Se

If I were human, I would've burned a lot of calories simply by walking. Damon and I walked back to the hotel whilst carrying Caroline's bags. I also carried Elena's one little plastic bag with her shoes that Caroline had given her. She'd offered many times to carry it, but I'd insisted.

Once back at the hotel, Elena had run to the shower while I waited. I didn't need to change from my jeans and slightly-above-casual shirt, but there was no doubt that Damon was changing his black attire for different black attire and his leather jacket.

Elena's natural fragrance floated to my nostrils as I was sitting on the couch flipping through channels on the television. The hot water opened up her pores and allowed the dirt to just wash away, leaving her clean scent. I'm not crazy—it's science. That does, in fact, happen, and it's _wonderful_ in this case.

I could hear her as she turned the water off when finished, tiptoe out to her suitcase for something, pad back into the bathroom, and turn on the hotel hairdryer.

"_And in other news, a vicious animal has attacked yet another NYC native_…"

My attention turned to the television, which was airing the evening news.

"_The victim was identified as a woman named Anna. Anna was a minor, and her family requested we not mention her last name until further investigation has been underway. She had a mother, and was on her way home from the local _Borders Bookstore and Café_…_"

That wasn't a usual thing. If there were any attacks, they were usually by dogs, but the anchorman would've said it was a dog, and not just 'a vicious animal'.

"_Cause of death seems to be from mass amounts of blood loss. The animal had attacked her in the jugular. If you know of an animal or have seen one with these bite mark patterns, please call the local authorities. Do _not_ try and confront this animal…_"

A rough sketch of the animal bite mark popped up on the screen, and under it was a number to call with any information about this animal. There was something off about the sketch, though. It was as if I'd seen these marks before, but I wasn't sure where. Deep gashes stretched across the teeth until they'd gotten to the near edges of the upper and lower incisors. Whatever it was had some major jaw power.

_I've seen that pattern somewhere_, I thought to myself. _Where have I seen it? Think, Stefan_.

"What are you watching?"

Elena disrupted my thoughts and brought me back to reality.

"Oh," I mumbled. "I'm just surfing channels. Are you ready?"

"Perhaps," she said. "I am if I look presentable enough. What do you think?"

I stood up from the couch and turned around to face her.

My unneeded breath caught in my throat as I looked her up and down. She was back in the dress that she'd taken off to shower, but this time, she'd word the shoes as well, and her hair was sprawled over her shoulders in loose carefree curls. Her lashes were coated in mascara to draw attention to her beautiful eyes. There was just a hint of gloss on her lips.

"You're beautiful," I managed to get out, and then I grinned. "You're just missing two things."

"What's that?" she asked in a panicky manner. "I put deodorant on, and I brushed my teeth. I promise."

"It's not a bad thing," I laughed. "Pick a number between one and ten, but it can't be five."

"Um," she contemplated. "Seven."

I proceeded to walk to my luggage and reached into the front pocket, then pulled out the little tube of perfume that resembled a blood vial. Ten was the vial, and one was the "Tattooed" one. She'd just had to choose a number which was close to one of them.

"Here," I said as I came back out into the television area and handed it to her.

She took it from me and looked at it, "What is it?"

"It's just some perfume that I picked up while you and Caroline were shopping at Victoria's Secret."

She examined the vial and laughed when she saw the name, "Did you pick it for its title?"

"No," I laughed, "I thought it smelled nice, but I did like the irony. If you don't like it, I'm blaming the salesclerk. My sense of smell was overloading and all the fragrances were burning my nose. However, if you like it, it was totally me."

She laughed and smiled as she held it up to her nose, "It smells amazing."

"Yeah, I knew you'd love that one. It was all me."

We chuckled together as she gave her skin two spritzes.

The smell of the perfume mixed with her natural scent drew me in, "Do you know the second thing you're missing?"

"No," she said. "Is it something necessary to my well-being?"

"Of course it is," I stated as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Well what is it?" she asked as she made her way over to me.

When she got into arms reach, I grabbed her and pulled her gently over to me so that we were inches from each other. I tilted my head down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, but lingered there. She returned the favor by kissing me back and curling her fingers in my hair.

I continued to kiss her until she had to pull away to breathe.

Just as she came back to give me one last peck on the lips, Caroline's fist was rapidly knocking on our door.

"Elena? Stefan?" she said through the door. "Are you ready?"

I continued to hold Elena and look at her while I called out, "Yes!"

"Well then come on!" she replied.

I sighed, grabbed Elena's hand, and then led her out the door to meet Caroline. Damon was leaning against the wall playing with the leaf of a lily that was displayed on the hallway stand. He wasn't paying any attention to Caroline, who looked very nice with a black skirt and white button up shirt, which was just pressed by the looks of it. He did, however look up when Elena stepped into his view.

He proceeded to give her the same look that he gave her when she first tried the dress on in the store, except that it was more obvious, his mouth was open even more, and he looked at her like she was his.

That feeling boiled up inside me again, but I'd just let it go. Elena was _my_ girlfriend—_not_ his.

The girls walked ahead of us, but mainly because Caroline was so giddy with excitement that she just couldn't walk at a casual pace. That was fine. It gave Damon and I time to talk.

"So, did you see the news?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I was watching it while Elena was getting ready."

"Hmm," he pondered. "I was watching it while I was changing. Caroline was going through her millions of bags and deciding what to wear. Outside of her belongings, she was oblivious."

"You two changed in front of each other?"

"I just changed my jeans and shirt," he stated. "It wasn't like I was switching out boxers. Caroline hopped in the shower after choosing her clothes, but came out to put on her outfit."

"That didn't bother either of you?" I asked.

"Stef, we've had sex numerous times," Damon laughed. "It's not like I'm looking at something I haven't seen before. If I did, I'd probably throw a dollar at it."

I took part in a face palm, "You would say something like that."

"I'm surprised you and Elena don't," he replied. "I mean, you two did mess around, too."

"We've only done it once," I said, "and it has to do with respect." (Talk about fear now that Stefan's a vampire).

By this time, we were down in the lobby exiting the doors of the hotel. The girls were already out on the sidewalk attempting to hail a cab on their own. They weren't succeeding.

Damon walked up behind them and gave one of the loudest whistles that I'd ever heard in my life. I found it impressive because as a human, Damon couldn't whistle that loud. My father taught me to whistle as a child, but Damon had no interest in learning the little things that wouldn't make a huge difference in life, such as learning how to whistle loudly. I repeated the action, and a cab stopped behind the one Stefan had hailed.

We took the taxis to the restaurant, and it wasn't until we'd gotten our plates of microscopic portions that I'd realized that—after such an active day surrounded by humans with blood pumping through their veins—I was hungry. Well, I guess it was more like the word _thirsty_.

I did my best to act cool and collected as we ate our dinner and dessert. It was obvious that the girls were growing tired as well. As southern belles, they'd never experienced what it was like to be in a city that never stopped and closed down for the night. Mystic Falls rolled up its sidewalks at no later than 8:30 in the evening—nine o' clock on the weekends. New York City was open 24/7. They were tired, and it was showing under their sleepy smiles.

It was late when we got back to the hotel. We were in the lobby when I began talking.

"I know you're tired," I started. "Caroline, Elena, why don't you two get out of those clothes and spend a little time in the spa. The masseuses have probably stopped working, but I'm sure the saunas and hot tubs are still open. Damon and I have to go and do something. We'll be back in about an hour."

Caroline, who had the drowsiest of eyes, perked up at the words "sauna" and "hot tub". She agreed that it would be fun, and Elena was fine with it.

While they went off on their own towards the elevator to go change, I heard Caroline, "This'll be so fun, Elena. We can get all relaxed for the evening and then we can go back to our rooms and wear what we bought at Victoria's Secret."

Had we not been vampires, we wouldn't have heard that, but her words were crystal clear, and Damon gave a mischievous smile.

"I can't wait for tonight," he said.

"I know," I agreed. "I'm really thirsty, though. Where in this city can I get a bunny to eat?"

Damon contemplated for a minute, but then he answered, "I'm sure the middle of Central Park has something you could gnaw on…"

In no time, we were in the middle of the park, past the security guards, the homeless people, the drug dealers, and the late-night, deep-in-the-woods junkies. The only sounds that could be audible to the human ear were the crickets and the faint sounds of the car horns, but the latter was only if they were to listen intently. However, I heard the rustling of a rabbit cleaning itself and a bird nesting in the tree for the night. Damon and I casually strolled along a dirty, less-traveled path.

"I'm glad we have the park," Damon said. "Without it, we'd have to resort to eating people, or the wild animals at the zoo."

I gave a halfhearted laugh, "Yeah."

"What did you think about that animal attack on the Anna girl?" he asked. "It seems more like a killer to me. No animal with that bite pattern could just go unnoticed in a city with such a large population."

What he said pulled at some sort of memory, but I let it go, "Yeah."

"What's the matter, Stef?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm scared, Damon," I admitted. "I feel stupid saying it, but I'm scared."

"What are you scared of?" he laughed. "You're a vampire. The only things you have to fear are wooden stakes, decapitation, and vervein."

"You said you were excited for tonight," I stated. "It's because you and Caroline are going to have some adult fun."

"Well, yeah," he said, as if he thought it wasn't obvious enough. "I'm real excited for it. Caroline's gorgeous and has a killer body. Aren't you excited?"

"I want to be," I admitted, "but Damon, the last and only time I'd ever made love with Elena was when I was still human. I don't want to hurt her, and I want to love her physically, but I'm afraid I'll lose control and do something I'll regret for the rest of eternity."

"Ooh," Damon replied in an apathetic manner. "I understand you completely."

"I don't know if I should or shouldn't do it," I said.

"Well," my brother responded. "This city never sleeps, and if I were you, I'd do it. You've been adjusting remarkably this far, so I don't see you having too much trouble with this. It's almost a different experience. Your senses will be heightened, and you'll feel like a prepubescent twelve-year-old boy again, in a sense. My advice to you would be to discuss it with Elena before doing it. She seems understanding. I'm sure you'll be fine."

I took that in before speaking again, "Thanks, Damon."

"Anytime, little brother," he laughed. "My _fratellino _is growing up so fast."

"Shut up," I smiled as I punched him in the arm. "Let's get something to eat."

"Whatever you say," he replied, "but let it be known that I hate rabbits."

I just rolled my eyes as I let my vampiric senses take over. I thought of Elena to prevent my mind from running away from me like before.

Her hair tonight was curled, and her perfume smelled amazing mixed with her natural scent. The dress she'd worn tonight hugged her curves and still made her look sophisticated. My body tensed whenever she'd said my name. I loved the way her eyes sparkled when she looked at me…

Before I knew what had happened, my hands were clenched around a now-dead rabbit's neck, and my fangs were sunk into its jugular. I didn't particularly like the furry feeling on my tongue, but its hot blood prevented complaint as it ran over my tongue and down my throat.

Ten minutes and twelve rabbits later, I was just finishing up while Damon threw his kill's carcass into the bushes, "So now that you're one for conversation, what do you think really got the girl on the news? My money's on a coyote, but based on the sketch, it has to be a big one with a narrow snout."

I licked my lips and threw the rabbit behind me, "I don't know, but I feel like I've seen the pattern before."

"Well, maybe we'll have to do a little research," Damon replied. "We wouldn't want a vicious animal wreaking havoc in the same place our dear, old mother lives, right?"

"True," I agreed.

"I say we have the girls tour the churches and the Radio City Music Hall while we compel our way into the morgue and look at the bite marks on the girl for ourselves," he said.

At the mention of a morgue, that memory pulled at me again, but this time, I remember where I'd seen the marks before…

_I nodded, and together we opened the casket._

_Both of us nearly screamed when we did, though._

_Katherine's casket number was 96500B001._

_This wasn't Katherine Elizabeth Pierce's casket._

_It was Katherine Elena Pierce's…and there was a reason that her casket was all but glued shut._

_The examiner wasn't lying when he or she determined the cause of death was an animal attack._

_The poor girl's face was marred and mangled. Her skin was so ripped up that it was visibly sewn back to her face and a chunk of her bottom lip was gone!_

_If I'd have eaten anything before hand, I would've definitely seen it again from barfing after seeing that poor girl's body._

_"Oh my God!" Elena said._

_She took out her camera and actually snapped a picture._

_"What are you doing?" I asked her with wide eyes. "You can't be serious."_

_"Stefan, those marks on her neck were the same ones that my mother had on hers. If there's any similarity, I have to have a picture…_

The bite marks looked like the ones on that poor girl Elena and I had seen in attempts to look for Katherine's body at the morgue in Mystic Falls, and it came out later that her injuries weren't sustained by an animal attack at all. I explained this to Damon before telling him what I'd just learned.

"Damon," I said quietly as realization set it. "It's not an animal that's doing this."

His eyes grew as he caught onto what I was getting at, but I had to say it for it to stick:

"It's another vampire."


End file.
